Mixer for gases and liquids.



E. P. NOYES.

MIXER FOR GASES AND LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8, 1907, I 979,781 Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. v

1']. P. NOYES.

MIXER FOR GASES AND LIQUIDS.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 8, 1907.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT EDWARD P. NOYES, or-wmcnnsrnn, MASSACHUSETTS,nssmnon; BY mi: nsslen MENTS, '10 0. 1. POWER COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEWJEBSEY,-A GOBPDB-ATIQN OF NEW JERSEY.

MIXER- FOR GASES AND LIQUIDS.

all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, EDVARD P. NoYns, a

citizen of the United States, residing atliquid currents, for thepurpose of causing them to flow in a. predetermined volumetric ratio andalso if desired in a predetermined quantity-ratio. Its uses are foundrincipally in the mixing of a gas and a liquid (although it mayproportionately regu late the flow of ases and liquids which do notbecome mixed and in this field its principal applications are tocarbureters for explosive and other internal-combustion engines,constant-flame burners for J oule-cycle internal-combustion apparatus,coolers for mixing water with hot combustion-gases under pressure, andhydrocarbon-heated steam-boilers. As a carburetor the apparatus will mixair and liquid-fuel in combuse tible proportions. As a generator forconstant-flame internal-combustion burners it will perform an analogouscarbureting or fuel-proportioning function and in addition will mixwater with the burner gases in proportion to the quantity of fuel burnedand thus reduce the temperature in a stable degree. As a simplewater-and-hot-gas mixer it will perform this latter function for hotgases received from any source such as the high-pressure exhaust of acompound explosive engine. As a burner for steam-boilers it willproperly proportion the air and liquid fuel and may also proportion theboiler-water in the proper ratio to the quantity of fuel burned.

My invention depends upon the principle of a meter for the gaseous fluidresponsive to the variations in volume of said fluid and connected withone or more liquid-controlling valves for varying the orifice forliquidfiow conformably with the variation in volume of gas-flow so thatthe ratio may remain the same throughout a wide variation in the actualvolumes flowing. The apparatus is or may be also made responsive toSpecification of Letters Patent. 1 Patented Deg, 27, 1910, Applicationfiled January 8, 1801' Serial No. 351,317. 7 I i changes in pressure ofthe gas. Since gaseous fluids. are compressible and liquidssubstantially incompressible, a variation in density of the gas, givinga changed quantity of gas for any given volume-flow thereof, calls for achange in the opening ofv the liquid-valve for any given gas volumeflow,and this change I effect by introducing a pressure-responsive device tochange the ratio of movement of the liquid-valve. The

term. gas is here used generically to indicate any aeriform fluid.Specifically in a carbureter or similar device the gaseous fluid handledwould be air. I further make novel use'of a thermostatas a useful thoughnotindispensable auxiliary in certain instances.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a vertical section of aconstant-flame pressure-generator embodying my invention and includingthe control of two liquids, one

being fuel for the burner and the other Water for converting the heat ofthe burner gases. Fig. 2 represents a detail section showing theinvention modified to apply it to external-combustion burners forsteamboilers. Fig. 3 represents a sectional view showing anothermodification including a different form of gas-metering device and asingle liquid-controlling valve. Fig. 4 represents a section on the line44 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the construction shown in Fig. 1, 10 is ananterior-pressure air-chamber having an air inlet 11. The air enters thechamber 10 by the inlet 11 and flows out of said chamber pastaresistancevalve 12 connected by a stem 13 with a flexible septum ordiaphragm l4 surmounted by a downwardly-acting. adjustable spring 15whose tension will remain substantially fixed throughout a considerablerange of move-.

ment of the diaphragm. This diaphragm is quence is that a drop inpressure is imposed upon the air passing from chamber 10 to flows into aposterior-pressure chamber 18 her, operatingchamber 18, which -dr enceremains substantia y constant so long as the tension of spring 15 isunvaried and this ressure-drop is independent of. the actualvolumes ofair flowing past the valve. The valve opens more or less to accommodatethe varying volumes flowingat any instant and the devicethereforeconstitutes anairmeter, the Vertical position of whosevalve indicatesthe volume or number of cubic feet of air flowing per unit of time. Bysuitable shaping of the valve 12 and its seat the device'may be made towork so that uniform increments of volume of air flowing will causeuniform increments of rise in valve 12,v

although such action is not essential and the valve may have; varlousforms. The a1r which in thisinstance is a combustion-chamunder asuperatmospheric pressure pro ced by feeding compressed air to thechamber 10 through pipe 11, and having an igniter 19 for starting theflame.

' The device then acts as a superatmosphericpressure carbureter whose"mixing-chamber 18 is also a combustionchamber for burning. the fuelaccording to what is known as the constant-pressure cycle to distinguishit from the explosive or constant-volume cycle.

20 is a liquid-fuel duct opening, below airvalve 12 and forming theoutlet'of'a fuelreservoir" 21 which is provided with a float 22controlling a fuel-supply valve 23 for maintaining a constant level ofliquid in the reservoir. The liquid fuel is pumped in through a pipe 24under a pressure superior to the air-pressure in chamber 10. The

lower orifice of duct 20 constituting the fuel inlet to chamber 18, isposterior to the airinlet past valve 12 in the sense of beingsubstantially impinged by the air-flow past said valve. This is alsotrue of the water-inlet 36 hereinafter described.

' At the entrance of duct 20 is placed a fuelvalve 25 connected b a link26 with the short arm of a secon -class lever 27 This v lever has afixed fulcrum at 28 and its long arm is connected with the air-valvestem 13 so that any given travel or position'of the air-valve 12 resultsin a corresponding position o'r' travel of the fuel-valve 25. By

properishaping of the valves and seats the a1r and fuel orifices may becaused to remain in the same ratio throughout the range of the twovalves for any given position of the pin 29 on lever 27. The head orheight of the liquid column remains substantially constant by the actionof the float-valve 23, and the pressure-difference on opposite ends ofthe liquid column remains substantially constant by the action of theresistance-valve 12. By maintaining this pressure-diflerence constant,the liquid column is rendered free of any variations in liquid-feedingpressure of the air. Hence all liquid-flow-varying inorpressure-differfluences, with the exception of the orificevariationeffected by valve 25, are eliminated and the result is that the volumesof liquidflow are in strict accordance with the volumes of air-flow,thus maintaining the air and fuel in desired proportions forthemaintenance of combustion. A constant ratio of volume-flow for the airand fuel, though generally desirable, is not essential,

and I may cause a given range of air-vol-,

umesto measure a-disproportionate range of fuel volumes. For example, anlncreased rat1o of; fuel is sometimes. deslred 1n carbureters'when thevolumes of flow are smallest.

Thesematters are within the choice of the designer, because, as my aiparatus provides for equality'of pressure-di erence on opposite sidesof the air and fuel orifices and also rovides for varying the size ofthe orifices in a constant or other known relation, the two principalfactors entering into the law which governs fluid-flow through orificesof moderate length, namely the difference in pressure on the two sidesof the orifice, and the area of the orifice, are placed under control,and by maintaining one factor,-that is, the pressure-difference,constant for both orifices, the desired results may be attained byvarying the other factor, namely the area, for both orifices in an equalor known degree. The fuel flowing from the lower orifice of duct 20mixes with the air flowing past the air-valve l2 and is broken up by thesubstantial velocity of the air at this point. The difference ofpressure above and below the air-valve being constant, the mixing effectof the air blast will remain conbe further stated that while thediaphragm 14, together with the spring and air-valve, constitute avolume-meter whose action involves the maintenance of a substantiallyconsant pressure-drop, this device like many others designed to maintainconstant conditions, depends for its action on slight fluctuations inthose conditions themselves. Thus the air-valve 12 does not open to awider position until a larger on-coming vol ume of air has established aslightly increased pressure-difference between chambers 10 and 17, whichwill raise the diaphragm 14 and by establishing a larger opening at thevalve 12 to accommodate the leading from a water-pump.

enlarged air-volume, will restore the standard pressure-drop, which hadtemporarily fluctuated,

Under some conditions I may omit the float-valve device, such as 22, 23,and use other means for maintainin r a constant head, or may even feedthe liquid under a variable head if its effective pressure is notallowed to vary widely or is controlled in a suitable manner, the airand liquid metering devices in such a case being allowed to operate onsubstantially the same principle as explained above.

If large variations in the density of the air current through 10, 18,etc.', take place, the device requires correction for pressure, and thisI effect automatically by means of a pressure-responsive piston 30having on one side the anterior compressed air-pressure in chamber 10and on the opposite side a substantially constant pressure supplied by aspring 31 and the atmosphere. This piston connects with the link 26 byrod 32, a lever 33, and a rod 34, and the efiect of its movement is toslide the pin 29 along a guide 35 on lever 27 toward and from thefulcrum of said lever. Hence the fuelvalve 25 has a greater or lessamplitude of movement in relation to the air-valve 12 according as theair-pressure in chamber 10 rises or falls. With an increase ofair-pressure the density increases and a larger quantity or mass of airis contained in any given volume, but since the fuel is substantiallyincompressible, a position of the air-valve measuring this increasedquantity but unchanged volume of air would measure the same actualquantity of fuel as before and hence would tend to disturb the desiredratio of air and fuel quantities. The piston 30 corrects this tendencyand moves the pin 29 away from the fulcrum 28 to give the valve 25 alarger proportionate throw when the air-pressure increases.

In the internal-combustion generator here shown the hot gases ofcombustion require quenching with water before they pass to the engine.and for this purpose I- show a water-feed regulator essentially similarto the fuel-feed regulator above described.

36 is a water-spray nozzle in the lower part of the combustion-chambersupplied from a duct 37 forming the outlet of a water-reservoirBS whichhas a constant-level float 39 and valve 40, and a supply-pipe 41 At 42the water-duct is expanded into a jacket for cooling the walls of thecombustion-chamber 18. Atthe entrance of the duct is placed a valve 43operated from the air-valve stem 13 by a link 44, pin 45 and lever 46fulcrumed at 47, these parts being similar in construction and action tothe described mechanism for fuel-control and serving to effect a flow ofwater into the combustionchamber, roportionate in volume to the volumes0 Mr and fuel supplied to the burner. Hence for any given amount of heatgenerated in the burner a proportionate amount of water is supplied forquenching the hot products of combustion and reducing their temperatureto a stable point, the mixture of burned gases and steam being conlever46 along a guide 52 on said lever, and

thus varying the ratio of movement of the Water-valve 43 with relationto the air-- valve, the connection being by way of a rod 53 from piston50 to a floating lever 54 and from thence by a rod 55 passing through apressure-tight guide into the anterior pressure-chamber 10 to engage theshort armof a bell-crank lever 56 which connects by a rod 57 with theupper end of the link 44. Any increase in pressure and density of theburned gases, which follow the anterior airpressure through a constantreduction as already stated, serves to depress the piston 50 and throwthe pin 45 away from fulcrum 47, thus increasing the water-flow per unitof movement of the air-valve, and maintaining a constant or otherdesired ratio of quantity between, the water, air and fuel. \Vithconstant quantity-ratios of air, fuel, and water thus maintained, thetemperature of the quenched gases passing out through pipe 49 will tendto remain constant. Should any accidental variation of temperature occurthrough faulty adjustment, wear or similar causes, it may be correctedthermostatically, and for this purpose I have shown a thermostat 58 madeof a suitable metal and connected by a rod 59 with the short end of thefloating lever 54 so that it may act independently of the piston 50 toshift the pin 45, giving an increased water-flow when the temperaturerises and a decreased flow when the temperature falls. This thermostatmay be put out of action when desired by unhooking the upper end of rod59 from the end of lever 54 and substituting a rigidlysupported rod 60which affords a fixed fulcrum for the left-hand end of the lever. Thelever-54 constitutes an equalizer or compensator between the piston 50and thermostat 54, permitting their separate or conjoint action.

Although I have shown separate pressureresponsive pistons 30 and '50 forthe fuel and water valves respectively, it will be understood that theirfunctions may be combined, since both pistons are subject to the samepressure changes, and for this pur ose I have shown a rod 61 adapted tobe su stituted for the rod 32 b unhooking the latter from the'lever 33an attaching the end of rod 61 so as to connect the link 44 with lever33, in which case piston 50 will operate both links 44 and 26. When thisis done the floating lever 54 should be given a fixed fulcrum on the rod60 since otherwiseif the temperature should rise, thermostat 58 Wouldten to increase the quantity of fuel and produce a further temperatureincrease.

It will be understood that suitable'means may be provided for affordingaccess to the hooked members 59, 60, 61, 32, or adjusting them, from theoutside. An illustration of such means is not considered essential to anunderstandin of the functions of the elements themse ves.

Fig. 2 shows my invention applied to the fuel and water feed of asteamoiler heated by external combustion. The combustiontube 18discharges into the atmosphere and the flameand hot gases thereinimpinge on a water-vaporizing coil 62 fed from the duct 37through jacket42. A superheating coil 63 is shown in the lower part of thecombustion-chamber and the steam discharges into chamber 48 on its waypast thethermostat 58 and pressure-piston 50 to the enginepipe 49. Inthis case the water-reservolr 38 is inclosed and separated from theinitial air-chamber 10, and steam pressure is carried to the surface ofthe water in said reservoir through a pipe 64 so that the water-flow ismade independent of any feed-varying influences excepting the orificevariation ef fected vby valve 43. The water-feed will therefore beproportionate to the fuel-feed and the air-flow, which may be governedby devices similar to those described in Fig. 1. Air is fed to theanterior-pressure chamber 10 under a pressure above the atmospheric.

In both the internal-combustion and the external-combustion embodimentsof my invention it will be observed that I have shown a water-vaporizerconsisting of suitable chambers and passages for subjecting the water tothe flame and hot gases. In Fig. 2 the heating is done-entirely throughwalls, while in Fig. 1 it occurs partly through walls and partly bydirect contact of the gases and water.

Figs. 3 and 4 show my invention embodied with a gas metering regulatorof modified form. The septum and gas-valve are here merged in onevalve-and-septum member in the form of a piston 65 whose rise and falluncover and cover a greater or less number of perforations 66 in thewall of a cylinder described form, the motor areas of the sepgaspressure existing in the outer casing 69.

The motion of'the piston is communicated through a cylindrical rack 70and a pinion 71 to the screwthreaded stem of a liquid orifice-varyingvalve 72 at the entrance of a liquid conduit 73 which opens into theeduc- 'tion as-pipe 49. The .liquid and gas are mixed at the entrance tothis pipe 49, which leads to an engine or other point of use. 74 is aliquid-reservoir connecting by pipe 75 with the casing of valve 72, and76, 77 are a float and valve for maintaining a constant head of liquid.The'anterior gas pressure is carried to the surface of the liquid inreservoir 74 through-a pipe 78. Correction for variations in gaspressure is effected by rotating the piston 65 and causing legs 79 withwhich its lower edge is provided, to blank a greater or less number ofvertical rows of the apertures 66. This gives a changed verticalposition to the piston67foranygivenvolumeflow of gas through theapertures 66, that is, for an increased gas density the piston travelwill be greater per unit volume, and vice versa. Thus instead ofchanging the ratio of movement of the air and liquid valves as in Fig. 1I maintain the same ratio between them but vary the ratio of both withrelation to-unit volume of gas-flow by varying the configuration of thetotal gas-passage through the apertures 66. Rotation of the piston 65 iseffected by a pressurcresponsive piston 80 similar to the pistons 30 and50 in Fi 1 which connects through a rack 81 and plnion 82 with avertical squared rod 83 engaging a squared socket 84 in the stem ofpiston 65. In this modified form of the in vention I have shownprovision for controlling only one liquid, which maybe fuel in acarbureter, or water in a hot-gas mixer connected with the discharge ofan internalcombustion burner or engine, but obviously a plurality ofliquids may be controlled as in Fig. 1. 1

It is obvious that, without departing from my invention in a broadsense, the adjustment effected by shifting the link-pins 29 and 45 inFig. 1, rotating the piston 65 in Fig. 3, or similarly acting on anyequivalent form of adjusting device, may be performed or controlled bysome other force than the changing gaseous pressure, and in a mannerautomatic or otherwise as may be most suitable to the conditions of use.

The device shown in'Fig. 1 may be converted into a carburetor forexplosive engines by omitting or disabling the watervalve 43 and itsassociated members, or these may be retained in action for feeding fuelwould become inactive unless their outer chambers were sealed so as tocontain a pressure substantially constant as compared with fluctuationsin the atmospheric pressure. These piston devices or suitably sensitiveequivalents would in the latter case act as barometers tending tocorrect the action of the carburcter for differences of topographicalelevation, etc. For an explosive engine the two liquids might be fueland water, the water being sprayed in small propor- 'tionate quantitiesinto the charge in order to flatten the compression temperature curvefor the engine toward the isothermal. When the apparatus is used as asuction carbureter, atmospheric air instead of compressed air isadmitted to chamber 10, and the en giue suction is communicated tochamber 17 from chamber 18 in the air-and-mixture V passage, through thechannel 16.

I am aware that my invention does not take account of the initialtemperature of the entering air orother gas although capable of being somodified or added to as to accomplish this, butsince the percentagevariations of atmospheric temperature from the theoretical absolutezero, are not large under actual conditions, the quantity-proportioningof air and liquid effected by the tially fixed area exposed respectivelyto the mixing-chamber pressure and the gas-pressure'anterior to the gasinlet, said device being subject to a substantially constant forcetending to close the gas inlet and ada ted to maintain asubstantially-constant dilibrence between the anterior andmixing-chamber pressures, and a liquid-controlling valve operated bysaid valve-and-septum device and adapted to graduate the liquid inlet ina predetermined relation to the variation of the gas'inlet. v

2. A gas and liquid mixer comprising a mixing chamber having gas andliquid inlets. a valve-aud-se tum device having opposite surfaces of sostantially-fixed area exposed respectively to the mixing-chamberpressure and the gas-pressure anterior to the gas inlet, said devicebeing subject to a substautially-consl ant force tending to close thefor imparting a movement to the latter'in a predetermined ratio to thatof the former.

3. A gas and liquid mixer comprising a mixin chamber having gas andliquid inlets a apted for a continuous flow, a reservoir for supplyingsaid liquid inlet, said reservoir being subject to the gas pressureanterior to the gas inlet and having a constantlevel device, avalvecontrollin the liquid inlet, means responsive to the volume of flowthrough the gas inlet for holding said valve at an opening correspondingto said volume, and adjusting means for varying the position of saidvalve relative to a given rate of gas flow.

4. A gas and liquid mixer comprising a mixing chamber having gas andliquid inlets, a valve-and-septum device controlling the gas inlet andresponsive to the volume of flow theret-hrough, a reservoir forsupplying said liquid inlet, said reservoir being subject to the gaspressure anterior to the gas inlet and having a constant-level device, avalve controlling the liquid inlet, a motion-reducing connection fromthe valve-and-septum device to the liquid-inlet valve, and means for adusting said connection to vary the relative travel of said device andsaid liquidinlet valve.

5. In a gas and liquid proportioning apparatus, the combination ofconnected devices for automatically measuring a gas flow and a liquidflow, and means responsive to the degree ofpressure of said gas flow forvarying the relation of said devices to maintain a known quantity ratiobetween the gas and liquid flows during variations in gas density.

6. In a, gas and liquid proportioning apparatus, the combination of gasand llquid orifice-varying valves, a connection between said valvesadjustable to vary the ratio of their movements, and means responsive tothe degree of pressure in the flow through the gas orifice forautomatically adjusting said connection.

7. In a carburetor, the combination of a mixing-chamber having inletorifices, air and li uid-fuel measuring devices controlling saldorifices andconnected for orifice-- varying movements in the rat-i0corresponding to the combustible ratio of the fluids, and meanscontrolled by the pressure of the air-flow through said apparatus forvarying the relative movement of said devices to correct for a variationin the density of said air-flow. v a

8. In a gas and liquid proportioning device, the combination of agas-volume meter,

plurality of independentpassages for different liquids, and a pluralityof valves controlled b said gas-volume'meter for. maintaining t e li u1dflows said passages'm vice, the combination of a gas cham a knownrelation to the as flow.

9. In a gas and liqui proportioninghdeber avmg a plurality of liquidinlets, a pluralit ofsources of li uid supply connected wit therespective ets, a g'as-valve'and a plu-.

' rality of liquid valves controlling the gas .for automaticallymaintainin ject to the gas pressure anterior to the gas inlet forsupplying the liquid inlets, means the liquids in said reservoirs at asubstantially constant level, and a valve device controlling the gasinlet and responsive to the volume of flow therethrough for operatingsaid liquid-controlling valves.

11. In an air and liquid pro ortioning device, the combination of a comustion-chamber having air and liquid-fuel inlets, means for heatingwater by the combustion of'the" air and fuel, fuel and waterfeed-valves, means responsive to the volume of. air-flow for actuatingsaid valves, and a connection between said valves for coordinating theirmovements.

12. In an air and liquid proportioning device, the combination of aburner having air and liquid-fuel inlets, a water-vaporizer heated bysaid burner, air, liquid-fuel and water valves controlling the orificesfor the respective fluids, means whereby the airvalve opening is variedautomatically according to the volume of air flow, an connectionsbetween said valves for imparting orificevarying movements to the liquidvalves in-constant' ratios to the movements of the air valve.

' 13. In a gasa'nd liquid pro ortionin device, the combination of a comustion-c amber, a gas-volume-measuring device appurtenant thereto, aliquid-orifice-varying valve actuated by said device,'means responsiveto the gas-pressure for varying the relative movement of said valve,andmeansresponsive to the temperature of'the fluid issuing from thecombustion-chamber for independently varying said relative movement.

614. In a gas and liquid proportioning device, the combination of aburner, a water-' vaporizer heated thereby, awater feed-valve for saidvaporizer, devices-responsive to steam pressure and tem erature having acommon control .over said feed-valve, and a connection between saiddevices for permitting them to act independently of each other.

15. A as and liquid mixer comprising a mixing 0 amber having a gasinlet, a gas valve controlling said inlet and combined with a septumoperated by the difierencein ressures established by the valve, a liquidmlet to said chamber posterior to the valve,

a liquid valve controlling said inlet and operated by the septum, andmeans for establishing, a fixed head. of liquid above said liquid inlet.

16.A carbureter for combustion engines.

In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses, the 4th day of January 1907.

- 1 EDWARD P. NOYES.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR H. BRowN, G. BATCHELDER.

